Steganographic method and device

• US 7,761,712 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2005
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wistaria Trading Inc.
• Original Assignee: Wistaria Trading Inc.
• Inventors: Cooperman, Marc, Moskowitz, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kaplan; Benjamin A
• Application Number:
  US11/050,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20050177727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,989 Days
• Field of Search: 380/28, 713/176
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0064 for copy protection or copy management, e.g. CGMS, copy only once, one-time copy
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00891 embedded in audio data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/04 Masking or blinding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/08 Randomization, e.g. dummy operations or using noise
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/605 Copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/608 Watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0643 Hash functions, e.g. MD5, SHA, HMAC or f9 MAC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0656 Pseudorandom key sequence combined element-for-element with data sequence, e.g. one-time-pad [OTP] or Vernam's cipher
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/12 Transmitting and receiving encryption devices synchronised or initially set up in a particular manner
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32149 Methods relating to embedding, encoding, decoding, detection or retrieval operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3216 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32187 with selective or adaptive application of the additional information, e.g. in selected frequency coefficients
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32245 Random or pseudorandom selection of pixels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 : Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 : Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 : involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 : involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 : of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 : of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3233 : of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/327 : which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3281 : Encryption; Ciphering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 : Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

An apparatus and method for encoding and decoding additional information into a stream of digitized samples in an integral manner. The information is encoded using special keys. The information is contained in the samples, not prepended or appended to the sample stream. The method makes it extremely difficult to find the information in the samples if the proper keys are not possesed by the decoder. The method does not cause a significant degradation to the sample stream. The method is used to establish ownership of copyrighted digital multimedia content and provide a disincentive to piracy of such material.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for decoding independent information encoded into digital data comprising:

providing a key from a database, said key providing an indication of where, in the digital data, the independent information can be located;

using said key to locate a first portion of said independent information in said digital data; and

using said key to determine said independent information from said digital data wherein the independent information includes a encode hash of at least a portion of the digital data and further comprising generating a decode hash of at least a portion of the digital data and comparing said encode hash to said decode hash.

2. A computer-implemented method for decoding independent information encoded into digital data comprising:

providing a key from a database, said key providing an indication of where, in the digital data, the independent information can be located;

using said key to locate a first portion of said independent information in said digital data; and

using said key to determine said independent information from said digital data wherein the independent information includes a encode hash of at least a portion of the digital data that contains the independent information, wherein the encode hash is insensitive to encoding the independent information into the digital data and further comprising generating a decode hash of at least a portion of the digital data that contains the independent information and comparing said encode hash to said decode hash.

3. A computer-implemented method for protecting a digital signal comprising the steps of:

a) providing a carrier signal;

b) using a key from a memory to map independent information including a digital watermark into the carrier signal;

c) adding unique data to each individual watermark, rendering it distinct from any other watermark in the same sample stream; and

d) computing a secure one way hash function of the carrier signal data in said sample windows, wherein said hash function is insensitive to changes introduced into the carrier signal for the purpose of carrying digital watermark information.

4. A computer-implemented method for protecting a digital signal comprising the steps of:

a) providing a carrier signal;

b) using a key from a memory to map independent information including a digital watermark into the carrier signal;

c) adding unique data to each individual watermark, rendering it distinct from any other watermark in the same sample stream;

d) computing a secure one way hash function of the carrier signal data in said sample windows, wherein said hash function is insensitive to changes introduced into the carrier signal for the purpose of carrying digital watermark information; and

e) concatenating the hash value with the independent information, creating an expanded, unique digital watermark.

5. A computer-implemented method for protecting a digital signal comprising:

a) providing a carrier signal that has been encoded with independent information;

b) using a key from a database to locate independent information including a digital watermark in the carrier signal; and

c) obtaining a unique hash value contained in the independent information comprising part of the digital watermark.

6. A computer-implemented method for protecting a digital signal comprising:

a) providing a carrier signal that has been encoded with independent information;

b) using a key from a database to locate independent information including a digital watermark in the carrier signal;

c) obtaining a unique hash value contained in the independent information comprising part of the digital watermark; and

d) computing a secure one way hash function of the carrier signal data in said sample windows, wherein said hash function is insensitive to changes introduced into the carrier signal for the purpose of carrying digital watermark information.

7. A computer-implemented method for protecting a digital signal comprising:

a) providing a carrier signal that has been encoded with independent information;

b) using a key from a database to locate independent information including a digital watermark in the carrier signal;

c) obtaining a unique hash value contained in the independent information comprising part of the digital watermark;

d) computing a secure one way hash function of the carrier signal data in said sample windows, wherein said hash function is insensitive to changes introduced into the carrier signal for the purpose of carrying digital watermark information; and

e) comparing the computed hash value to the value contained in the watermark.

8. A computer-implemented method for protecting a digital signal comprising:

a) providing a carrier signal that has been encoded with independent information;

b) using a key from a database to locate independent information including a digital watermark in the carrier signal;

c) selecting a mask set, said mask set including one or more random or pseudo-random series of bits, referred to as masks, d) selecting a random or pseudo-random start of message delimiter;

e) selecting an input sample stream to be decoded;

f) separating the input sample stream into smaller discrete sample windows comprising segments of the input sample stream;

g) using positions within one of the sample windows and a position within the input stream to index random or pseudo-random masks and compute a mapping function to determine decoding positions and to decode digital watermark information from the sample window; and

h) validating at least one selected from the group consisting of;

(1) a hash value computed on the start of message delimiter, and

(2) a digital signature of the start of message delimiter,

wherein the step h) of validating occurs after the start of message delimiter and the encoded information of said hash value or said digital signature have been decoded and the validation consists of computing an appropriate result using the start of message delimiter, comparing it to a value in the decoded data, and verifying any signature.

9. A computer-implemented method for protecting a digital signal comprising the steps of:

a) providing a carrier signal;

b) using a key from a memory to map independent information including a digital watermark into the carrier signal;

c) pre-processing sample windows in the sample stream to be watermarked;

d) determining which sample windows will contain the individual digital watermark to be encoded; and

e) calculating a size of the independent information comprising the digital watermark plus a size of an added hash value to determine a number of sample windows required to contain a complete watermark.

10. A computer-implemented method for protecting a digital signal comprising the steps of:

a) providing a carrier signal;

b) using a key from a memory to map independent information including a digital watermark into the carrier signal;

c) pre-processing sample windows in the sample stream to be watermarked;

d) determining which sample windows will contain the individual digital watermark to be encoded;

e) calculating a size of the independent information comprising the digital watermark plus a size of an added hash value to determine a number of sample windows required to contain a complete watermark; and

f) computing a secure one way hash function of the carrier signal data in said sample windows, wherein said hash function is insensitive to changes introduced into the carrier signal for the purpose of carrying digital watermark information.

11. A computer-implemented method for protecting a digital signal comprising the steps of:

a) providing a carrier signal;

b) using a key from a memory to map independent information including a digital watermark into the carrier signal;

c) pre-processing sample windows in the sample stream to be watermarked;

d) determining which sample windows will contain the individual digital watermark to be encoded;

e) calculating a size of the independent information comprising the digital watermark plus a size of an added hash value to determine a number of sample windows required to contain a complete watermark;

f) computing a secure one way hash function of the carrier signal data in said sample windows, wherein said hash function is insensitive to changes introduced into the carrier signal for the purpose of carrying digital watermark information; and

g) concatenating the hash value with the independent information, creating an expanded, unique digital watermark.

12. A computer-based process for watermarking content comprising the steps of:

a) accessing content; and

b) using a key from a memory comprising at least one map function to map a watermark into the content wherein the independent information includes a encode hash of at least a portion of the digital data and further comprising generating a decode hash of at least a portion of the digital data and comparing said encode hash to said decode hash.

13. A computer-based process for watermarking content comprising the steps of:

a) accessing content; and

b) using a key from a memory comprising at least one map function to map a watermark into the content wherein the independent information includes a encode hash of at least a portion of the digital data that contains the independent information, wherein the encode hash is insensitive to encoding the independent information into the digital data and further comprising generating a decode hash of at least a portion of the digital data that contains the independent information and comparing said encode hash to said decode hash.

14. A computer-based process for identifying content comprising:

a) receiving content that been encoded with independent information; and

b) using a key from a memory to locate and extract the independent information from the content wherein the independent information includes a encode hash of at least a portion of the digital data and further comprising generating a decode hash of at least a portion of the digital data and comparing said encode hash to said decode hash.

15. A computer-based process for identifying content comprising:

a) receiving content that been encoded with independent information; and

b) using a key from a memory to locate and extract the independent information from the content wherein the independent information includes a encode hash of at least a portion of the digital data that contains the independent information, wherein the encode hash is insensitive to encoding the independent information into the digital data and further comprising generating a decode hash of at least a portion of the digital data that contains the independent information and comparing said encode hash to said decode hash.

16. A system for watermarking content comprising:

a) a receiver configured to receive content; and

b) a processor configured to map at least one watermark into the content according to a key wherein the independent information includes a encode hash of at least a portion of the digital data and further comprising a generator for generating a decode hash of at least a portion of the digital data and a comparator for comparing said encode hash to said decode hash.

17. A system for watermarking content comprising:

a) a receiver configured to receive content; and

b) a processor configured to map at least one watermark into the content according to a key wherein the independent information includes a encode hash of at least a portion of the digital data that contains the independent information, wherein the encode hash is insensitive to encoding the independent information into the digital data and further comprising a generator for generating a decode hash of at least a portion of the digital data that contains the independent information and a comparator for comparing said encode hash to said decode hash.